Get Out Of Debt

UK Telemarketing Companies

There are over 600 telemarketing companies around the UK all offering promises of great services, quick results and value for money.

There are 3 different kinds of telemarketing company:
Outbound Calling – Where calls are made to prospects and clients Inbound Calling – Where calls are received (like a call center or secretarial service) Both – Some telemarketing companies offer both (business is tough so they will tackle anything).

Most of these telemarketing companies are small, with less than 10 staff. Most are set up by ex telemarketers that have decided to go it alone and set up businesses for themselves.

Any new business has three objectives:
To bring on new clients To offer a good service To generate revenue

Any new telemarketing company needs to generate lots of profit in order to afford staff costs, rent costs, expenditures and additional things (such as houses, cars, holiday’s etc.) that the owner requires. All this needs to be taken into account when discussing the price of the campaign.

Telemarketing Charging Ranges

There are a few different charging models to calling, most companies conform to per day, but there are other structures.

Per Day

Calling companies range from freelancers that offer a 1 man band approach to lead generation and may charge £150 per day (plus VAT @ 20%) up to larger established agencies that charge £600 per day (plus VAT) and maybe a setup fee.

Per Month

Some calling companies charge a monthly retainer for ongoing calling which could be £1,000 per month (plus VAT) up to £6,000 per month (plus VAT) for more targeted work or using larger numbers of staff.

Per Call

Smaller calling companies offer a cost per call route (maybe 50p + VAT) which is a bit more flexible to smaller businesses. Calls that are not connected are not normally charged, so smaller businesses can see and track progress a lot closer to assess how results are looking.

Generally the smaller the calling business, the cheaper they are, as they have less overheads. This could mean less experience in telemarketing, but could mean a more personalised service.

Why Telemarketing Costs Vary

All calling companies have different charging structures based on what they feel they can get away with. This is the nature of sales, cost is not about the value, but what the seller can get away with. Similar to petrol prices these days, garages charge £1.40 per liter because people are happy to pay that. For a days calling, is people are happy to pay £400 and feel they are getting value for it, then that is what would be charged (maybe a little more).

The most popular form of charging for calling is a day rate (sometimes a monthly rate) for both inbound and outbound calling on the basis that it can be easily invoiced.

Most telemarketing agencies that are new will start on a lower day rate (say £150 + VAT) and then increase it once they have a regular number of customers.

Tips For Negotiating Costs And Rates

One of the most important factors to consider during 2012 is results, cold calling and appointment making this year will be difficult and unfortunately the customer may be stuck with a big bill for calling work.

Work is slow and many businesses are reluctant to buy without an absolute need; therefore pushing for sort of results based work or guarantees is wise.
Ask for guarantees. Many telemarketing agencies will shy away from results based calling; however times are changing and some sort of guarantees are needed to avoid high day rates and no results. Shop around different agencies, there are lots of calling companies around and all are hungry for business. Ask for a trial before committing to a contract. Many agencies now offer 2-3 days of free calling to prove their worth and free trails are quite common.

Times are hard for all businesses and 2012 will be a make of break year for a lot of companies across many industries (retail, engineering, medical etc.) due to changing economics, government cutbacks and lower overseas prices.

For UK businesses, finding a reliable telemarketing company that can produce results is important; for calling companies, the need to go the extra mile and put in the extra work to satisfy UK companies is necessary.

Do I need a mouth protector?
Anyone who participates in a sport that carries a significant risk of injury should wear a mouth protector. This includes a wide range of sports like football, hockey, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball.
Mouth protectors, which typically cover the upper teeth, can cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth. If you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw, your dentist may suggest a mouth protector for these teeth as well.
What are the advantages of using a mouth protector?
Accidents can happen during any physical activity. A mouth protector can help cushion a blow to the face that otherwise might result in an injury to the mouth. A misdirected elbow in a one-on-one basketball game or a spill off a bicycle can leave you with chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage to a tooth or even tooth loss. A mouth protector can limit the risk of such injuries as well as protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining.
A properly fitted mouth protector will stay in place while you are wearing it, making it easy for you to talk and breathe.
I wear braces. Can I use a mouth protector?
A properly fitted mouth protector may be especially important for people who wear braces or have fixed bridge work. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouth protector also provides a barrier between the braces and your cheek or lips, limiting the ri sk of soft tissue injuries.
Talk to your dentist or orthodontist about selecting a mouth protector that will provide the best protection. Although mouth protectors typically only cover the upper teeth, your dentist or orthodontist may suggest that you use a mouth protector on the lower teeth if you have braces on these too.
If you have a retainer or other removable appliance, do not wear it during any contact sports.

I have written in the past about programs that do not tell consumers the truth, hiding every little detail possible in order to cash in on retainer and monthly maintenance fees. First and foremost avoid most agencies with these unnecessary charges unless they come highly recommended from a reputable source.

What is the truth? Many of us do not want to hear our interest percentage rates will rise, late fees and penalties will continue to accumulate, etc.. when we stop making our monthly payments to our creditors, and there is no one that can make them go away except for consolidation programs that will negotiate to lower interest rates. When consolidating all payments must be made on time otherwise we will be dropped from the program. In order to consolidate debt we must be current on all payments. Settlement programs can not stop these charges at all, and that is the truth.

So now we now if we consolidate we will be paying everything we owe back to our creditors plus interest. What most consolidation companies fail to tell consumers is that for as long as they are in the consolidation program their credit report will look as if they have filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy. This little detail is often not told by credit counselors. If credit score is important any type of debt relief program must be avoided.

The same goes for settlement programs, credit score will be affected as well. The only difference is the person’s credit report will not show a chapter 13 mark. The accounts will be reported as delinquent until settled or payed in full. Again, if credit score is important debt settlement is not the route to go either.

Are there any tax implications on debt settlements? YES. On any savings over $600.00 on any particular settlement a person will receive a 1099 statement and any money saved over $600.00 will have to be claimed as income unless the persons losses for one year are greater than the gains. Meaning if when tax time rolls around a person shows a negative margin on their earnings, for more information on this matter we should consult a licensed tax broker.

Can we be sued, have wages garnished, property attached to? YES. Any creditor has the right to the assert legal action to claim money owed. When we sign our contract agreement we give the credit company or companies the right to do so. If any debt relief agency tells anyone none of the above can happen, they are lying. Some individuals are very lucky, and never even get a phone call from a creditor or a collection agency and have the statue of limitations expire on their debt. I believe everyone must be aware of these possibilities before pursuing settlements on their debt.

So far we know of the fees that will be accumulated on our debt if we discontinue our payments to our creditors, what will happen to our credit reports and scores, the tax implications of debt settlements, the legal implications. Do we really need someone not telling us all this? If I were looking for debt relief help more specifically debt settlement I would like to hear all these little nasty details before deciding to negotiate on my debt. I would be able to sleep better at night knowing the consequences that may or may not happen.

Debt negotiation has yielded great savings to many, especially if they are well informed and the debt relief agency they choose to work with is honest and up front. Even with some of these difficulties waiting to happen some of us have no other choice but to seek debt relief, BE SMART and ask questions, if the answers you are getting do not satisfy you, keep searching. The right debt relief agency is out there for you, just look hard enough and you will find it.

Patents protect the intellectual property of inventors by giving them sole rights to manufacture or sell the ideas, designs, or products. This is advantageous for inventors of all kinds, and compels many inventors to continue making improvements on today’s consumer goods, manufacturing processes, and technological developments because they can profit financially from their work. Patent law, however, is quite complicated, so it is important to hire a Washington patent attorney that knows all of the laws that are relevant to you or your company so you can get the legal protection that you need.

What Types of Inventors Need a Washington Patent Attorney?

Just about any inventor working with new products, designs, processes, or significant improvements to those that already exist could benefit from the service of a Washington patent attorney.

There are many types of inventions that are protected by US patent law, including toys, tools, computer devices, business methods, and games. That means you do not have to be the stereotypical inventor who sits in a lab and creates new machines. You can benefit from the services of a Washington patent attorney even if you have made a children’s game.
Choosing an Effective Washington Patent Attorney

Washington DC is full of attorneys who specialize in all types of law, including patent law. Therefore, it is important for you to know how to choose a Washington patent attorney that can give you the services you need. Large corporations often keep Washington patent attorneys on retainer so they can patent their inventions as soon as possible.

If you operate on your own or with a small group that does not need a full-time patent attorney, then you will need to contact several of the firms and individual attorneys in Washington DC to make sure you choose someone that can give you the services you need.
Finding a Washington Patent Attorney with the Right Experience

US patent law is complicated because it has to regulate so many different types of inventions. When you search for a Washington patent attorney that can give you the services you need, you should therefore look for someone who has experience with the types of products and processes that interest you. For instance, if you design computer parts, then it makes more sense for you to hire a Washington patent lawyer who has other clients in this industry instead of choosing someone who primarily works with clients who develop business models. Hiring someone familiar with your industry could help you get the protection and application services that you need to profit from your invention.

Hiring Your Washington Patent Attorney

Before you hire a Washington patent attorney, you should ask them to give you a list of references as well as a written price quote. The references will help you make sure that the attorney has clients in your industry. You will also be able to contact the attorney’s clients to make sure they have gotten professional services. The price quote will help you decide which patent attorneys in Washington fit into your budget.

If you are a practicing attorney: Are you using Defense by Recoupment under 15 U.S.C. 1640(e) as a strong affirmative defense for your clients?

If you are a consumer: Have you had your loan (from day of application to current) audited by a forensic consumer debt analyst?

I get a fair amount of “conspiracy theory ” calls or emails people who would swear that the CIA was covertly involved in the loan they signed for and that all measures of fraud occurred against them by everyone involved and… you get the point. My first question to this person is always: “Great, so are you prepared for the ,000+ retainer a good attorney is going to want to spend their time investigating, quantifying, pleading and trying a case like that? Well, you know the answer…

Others have read (or have heard) that a loan audit and violations of the TILA can only help you if it’s a refinance loan on a primary residence in the last three (3) years.

To have the EXTENDED RIGHT TO RESCIND, these conditions must be in place but rescission isn’t the only thing that can help someone in (or in danger of) foreclosure.

When it comes to defending yourself against foreclosure the first order of business is to establish clear and genuine issues of material fact in the case. In a Florida foreclosure defense strategy, the client wants to quantify these genuine issues of material fact in the foreclosure case because no judge should ever grant a motion for summary judgment. Why?

In the state of Florida, there is extensive established law that prevents summary judgment from being granted when there are outstanding issues of material fact. Johnson v. Boca Raton Community Hosp., Inc.,985 So.2d 141, Murphy v. Young Men’s Christian Association of Lake Wales, Inc., 974 So.2d 565. A “material fact,” for summary judgment purposes, is a fact that is essential to the resolution of the legal questions raised in the case, Continental Concrete, Inc. v. Lakes at La Paz III Ltd. Partnership, 758 So.2d 1214.

Successfully defeating summary judgment is a big score in favor of the consumer and can greatly improve the chances of obtaining a viable and fair workout and thus ultimately, avoiding foreclosure.

So, one area of practice Lane Houk and his team help consumer attorneys with is by completing a forensic loan audit on the client’s loan documents from the day they applied for that loan through to current day. Why would a foreclosure client want this done? Let’s think about it…

Often times, the client did not receive proper “pre-closing disclosures” under both Truth in Lending laws (TILA) and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA);
Especially when there was a mortgage broker or interim lender involved
The actual “lender” in the transaction was under same timeframe obligations to make specific disclosures to client from the day they received application
The many servicing abuses which could have taken place from day of closing to current
Insufficient amount of certain disclosure violations
Escrow mishandling abuses (I’ve seen people nearly lose their house to a bona fide mistake the bank made but wouldn’t budge until a good attorney got involved)
The list goes on…

Under the TILA civil liability section [15 U.S.C. 1640(e)] regarding violations it says that any action under that section may be brought in any United States district court, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, within one year from the date of the occurrence of the violation. But, that subsection does not bar a person from asserting a violation of this subchapter in an action to collect the debt which was brought more than one year from the date of the occurrence of the violation as a matter of defense by recoupment…

A consumer can only bring an action for damages within one year from the date of closing. However, the consumer is not barred from bringing a claim as a “matter of defense by recoupment” in a foreclosure action because a foreclosure action is an action to collect the debt. (ie. almost all foreclosure complaints are served with some level of disclosure that “this is an action to collect on a debt”) however NOT disclosing that does not necessarily preclude that any such action is NOT an attempt to collect on the debt.)

Any such quantified claim of a violation of the TILA (Truth in Lending Act) from an expert audit report should be brought as an affirmative defense by the attorney. This is a rock solid issue of material fact. No summary judgment. The lender will have to bring the action all the way through to trial. This should give you much greater leverage to obtain a workout. At the very least, this give you/your client much greater time in the house and time to try to work something out that works for both parties; something that is much needed these days because I still see a great deal of servicer abuse/misprepresenations happening every single day.

I hope this little insight gives you some ideas on how you can help yourself in a foreclosure case. If you want more information on forensic loan audit, please call me at (800) 985-4685 ext. 2 or by email at Lane@thePatriotsWar.com

© Lane A. Houk – 2009- All Rights Reserved